When You're Ready
by Tinklingboots
Summary: Georg couldn't wait to enter into marriage with Maria. But he was worried about what would happen during their wedding night. To evolve from their chaste kisses and caresses to... in one night, seem to quick for him to be comfortable with. He wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her. He wanted her to be ready.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: **This story will probably turn M soon, I think I can get away with a T-rating for this chapter and maybe the next. Let me know if I'm wrong about that. It was partly inspired by the story ''Lessons in Love'' by Warmwoollenmittens: I really like how she slowly builds up to the wedding night, how in every chapter they go a step further (and how naughty Georg is XD). For my story I wanted any sexual activity to take place after the wedding night and try to stay true to the characters in the movie, allthough I must say, this first chapter takes place inside Georg's head and that was hard because obviously you can't see what he's thinking in the movie.

The idea for this fanfic is that they do not engage in sexual relations right away in the wedding night, they take it step by step, day by day. It's important to me that when things do heat up more, Maria is still the assertive, confident woman she is in the movie, allthough she will also probably be a bit timid in the beginning. This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction so any review and feedback is highly appreciated. :) :)

**Chapter 1**

Georg was standing with his hands on the banister of his balcony, looking out on the grounds like he often did. This time though, he could not see the slender figure of Fräulein Maria wandering aimlessly in the moonlight. He stared at the dark silhouettes of the trees, softly swaying in a late summers' breeze. It had all gone so fast. One moment he had been engaged to Elsa, who he had thought to be his saviour, two lost souls revelling in finding one another. She was stylish, classy, the perfect fit for his standing in society. And yet what he had needed the most he had found in his governess, Maria, his true hearts' desire. She was the one who made him aware of the most important thing in life, his children. She was the one who lit a fire in the heart he had tucked away, to save himself from the deep pain he felt after losing Agatha.

They were to be married soon. Married... he couldn't wait to be joined with Maria, yet... he was worried about what came after. Maria was intended to be a nun, a virgin, forever. Up until now they had traded chaste kisses and caresses. But what came in the wedding bed... was not chaste. And he did not want to scare or hurt her.

He had been surprised though, at how forward Maria could be with her touches. The night of his proposal, she had slid her arms around his neck, and moved her lips closer to his... She liked their kisses and caresses just as much as he did. His heart gave a little tug at that.

Still, to move from the innocence of their touches to... in one night seemed too quick for him to be comfortable with. He wanted it to be slow, he wanted Maria to be ready. He wanted her to want him just as much as he wanted her. Oh, how he wanted her. He remembered that day when he came home from Vienna. How she came out of the water, how he tried to ignore the way the wet fabric clung to her figure. And then how passionately she had stood up to him, not for herself but for the children's sake. When she implored him to love them, love them all, and came standing close to him, he had to walk away. It wasn't just that he did not want to hear her message at the time, it was also that the attraction he felt to Maria, that he had refused to acknowledge until then, came to life in a way that was unquestionable.

He knew, after that. He denied it because he did not want to hurt Elsa, did not want to go back on all the words and time they had shared. He cared about her, knew that she loved him more than she let on. But in his willingness not to hurt her, he had hurt her even more. Had he been honest with himself about his true feelings, he would never have asked Maria to dance with him during the ball. In the days after, when Maria had left the children, left him, he felt her absence in every nerve of his body. He should have let Elsa go then, but in a world that suddenly felt so confusing without Maria, he could not upset the order of things even more.

When Maria came back, it was like the return of the sun, this time even brighter than before because he knew how grey his life was without her. Everything became so much clearer. He could not marry Elsa because it was the proper thing to do after all his attentions. The only proper thing to do was to break of the engagement and set her free.

Elsa's response was that of a typical classy lady. Even with a broken heart, she gave him a goodbye-gift. She told him that Maria would never be a nun, which gave him a sense of hope. Had Elsa seen something in Maria, some little sign that his feelings for her might be mutual?

In the soft summer night he went to her, out by the gazebo. When he sat next to her on the bench, it dawned on him that they had never been alone together, just the two of them. In spite of his fear of rejection, he could not help but rejoice in the simple fact of being near her. When she told him she was sorry to hear that he broke of his engagement with Elsa, for a moment his heart sank. Had he read the signs wrong? Was she only concerned for the children, that they would have a mother? Did she not know how much he cared for her?

He had to tell her. Standing close to her, staring out the window of the gazebo, too scared to look her in the eye, he said: ''You can't marry someone when you're... in love with someone else. Can you?'' And he looked at her. Wide-eyed like a doe she shook her head. He couldn't help himself, he had to reach out for a kiss, and all the fears in his head evaporated as she moved her lips closer to his. Feeling her soft and warm lips caress his own was a pleasure he had thought he'd never experience again. After, he enveloped her in his arms, caressing her hair, feeling like he was holding an angel in his arms.

Georg would never hurt his angel, never scare his angel. He wanted a marriage of equals. He wanted that what would happen in their marital bed to be equal. Right there and then he decided that they would not be joined together until she was ready, no matter how long that would take.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes **Hey guys, thanks for the favorites/follows/reviews, it made me excited :). Sorry that it took so long to post chapter 2, I'd actually written an entire chapter and then decided that I didn't like it so I started over from scratch.  
BTW it might be a couple more chapters before things turn juicy/rated M, just because I want to try and stay true to the characters and I want things to evolve organically.  
I'd also like to recommend another fanfiction that also inspired this fanfic, it's called ''Taking her there with me'', by Redizded (rated M). It's not based on the Sound of Music, it's based on a BBC series called North and South (2004). If you like period dramas, then I recommend you watching this and then reading the fanfiction :)  
If you have any constructive criticism that would be great, this is the first time I'm trying to write so any feedback, even if its something small, is appreciated.

**Chapter 2 **

Maria stared out of a window, framed in cherry red curtains, of the train that was slowly meandering through Austria's landscape. Through heavy smoke emitted in intervals, she could see green hills and far behind it, endless mountains. It made her feel rather small. She hadn't seen much of the world before she became a postulant in the abbey and she couldn't help but think of God's might, that it was his hand that created all this beauty.

It didn't take long though, before her eyes were engaged elsewhere, as they often had during their journey. Her brand new husband was sitting across from her at the other side of their little wooden table, reading a newspaper, his back against one of the straight (somewhat uncomfortable) benches in their compartment. Besides the two of them the compartment was rather empty, apart from a small group of gentlemen with high hats, smoking their cigars and a mother with her little son.

Georg turned a page with a slight look of worry on his face. She could guess what that meant: Nazi propaganda. She sighed softly. How she wished she could wrap her arms around him and protect him from this world that seemed to be becoming darker and darker. He looked up at her sigh. Immediately his serious face became softer as he asked his new bride, ''What are you thinking about Maria?'', a slight smile on his face.

It was silly but even when he was asking such a simple question, his gentle voice made her heart flutter. ''Austria looks so beautiful'', she said as she looked out the window again. ''It's hard to believe that people would willingly let Nazis invade it.''

Georg's face fell. ''I know dear. But there are still people who want what's best for Austria. We have to believe that. At least, _I _have to believe that.'' He said, as his voice grew hard.

Maria looked worried and Georg gently lifted her chin with his fingers. ''Maria?'' he asked. ''Hmm?'' said Maria, feeling her skin tingle where his fingers brushed it. With a blazing look in his eye he said, ''I won't let anything happen to you.''

Maria smiled at that. ''I was just thinking the same thing.''

A smile appeared on Georg's face. ''_You're _going to protect me from the Nazis? Ah, well, in that case, I have nothing to worry about. I can't imagine any Nazi crossing the likes of you,'' he said, as his finger touched her nose in jest.

Georg laughed as Maria gazed downward, a flushed little smile on her face. Georg, focused on his paper again, turned another page to resume his reading. Maria looked around her. Georg and her must appear as an ordinary married couple, dressed up in traveling clothes. It gave her a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach that other people would see them as such. She hadn't yet gotten used to the idea of her and Georg being regarded as ''married''. She shook her head. It seemed unreal now that only a couple of hours earlier, she had walked down the aisle to become his wife. She had felt a bit anxious, being in a church full of people she didn't know, with so much attention on her. But all of that faded when she had seen him standing there, straight and proud in his naval suit, waiting to take her hand. In that moment she realised that the rest of the world didn't matter: it was just him and her. Whatever life had in store for them, they would handle it together.

She knew the bride was supposed to look beautiful so she hadn't expected to be so affected by how handsome he looked. She could picture him as a captain on a naval ship, giving out commands. She liked the idea of that. She didn't quite know why, but somewhere deep down she hoped that he would command her from time to time like he had done when they first met. Not that she'd listen to him of course. She'd never had the ability to adhere to authority, her sisters from the abbey could attest to that.

Maria sighed imperceptibly. To have her sisters by her side at the wedding had been a bittersweet experience. She would never join them in the abbey and even though the thought of the abbey seemed rather confining to her now, she would miss their comradery and the wisdom and love of mother reverend. Never in a million years had she thought, that day she left the abbey to become a governess, that her life would end up here. Mother reverend's words rung in her head: 'Climb every mountain, cross every stream, follow every rainbow, until you find your dream.' Who would've thought she would find it so quickly?

Maria was distracted from her musings by the conductor, declaring over the speaker system that they had reached the station in Bisschofshoven. That meant they would arrive in Villach in a few hours time. In this city near the Austrian border, they would spent their first night together in a honeymoon suite. Tomorrow they would travel on to Florence, Italy, their final destination. Maria felt herself getting a little flushed at the thought of what was supposed to happen tonight. Up until now she had been able to successfully push aside any and all thoughts of the wedding night, as she often did with things that made her feel uncomfortable. But seeing as the event was drawing awfully close now, she'd better give it some thought so she'd be prepared. If she was being truthful, the marital duties all seemed rather unbecoming to her. She didn't know what to expect, although she did trust that Georg would never willingly hurt her. Since he had already been married with seven children, she assumed he would know what to do. Of course, she knew the basics but she supposed the actual experience would be... quite different.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she let her head fall in her hand, her elbow on the little table in between them, and let out a sigh while grasping her hair. She noticed then that the captain was looking ponderously at her, his newspaper already neatly folded on the side of their table. How long had he been gazing at her, could he guess what was on her mind?

''Maria, is everything allright?'' he asked worriedly. ''You look a bit... flushed, are you warm?'' Her flush deepened. ''No, no, I'm quite allright it's just... uh, you know I was just thinking about uhm...'' she stammered, ''...the children!, yes, yes, the children I'm just wondering, you know, how they are doing and uhm, if they miss us.'' This was all spoken rather hurriedly.

''Well,'' quipped Georg, ''we only saw them a few hours ago so I'm sure they are still doing fine,'' a sparkle in his eye.

''Well, yes,'' said Maria, ''but you know, the little ones, for them a month will be so long and when we come back they will have grown so much and oh, I just miss them so much already.''

Georg laughed and said, ''I'm sure they'll survive without us for a month. Max will probably indulge them and when we get home, they'll be spoiled rotten.''

''I suppose so'', laughed Maria. She could feel that the muscles in her face were a bit sore from smiling so much. In fact she could hardly wipe the smile from her face. It felt like they were in their own little bubble and even when they were talking about silly things, there was something static in the atmosphere between them. And as the train slowly made its way through the mountains, with Georg teasing her from time to time, Maria began to feel a bit more relaxed about what was to happen tonight. All she knew was that she wanted to be near Georg, wanted to look in his eyes, wanted to see them lit up as he looked at her. Maybe the wedding night wouldn't be as scary as she thought...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After arriving in Villach, a car brought Maria and Georg from the station to their hotel. They were quickly checked in and led to their suite. After the bell boy put their suitcases on the floor, he left the room with a tick on his hat. Maria and Georg looked at each other. They were really and truly alone now. There were no children to interfere, no train passengers to invade on their privacy. The thought was equally thrilling as scary to Maria, as it opened up possibilities that were restricted before. The king sized bed with heavy beige curtains was a rather daunting sight, although it also looked rather inviting to her, as she was quite exhausted from the long day.

The bed took up most of their room. Beside it was a comfortable arm-chair. The floors were covered with a thick carpet, a rather big difference from the hard wooden floors Maria was used to in the abbey and she suddenly felt the urge to just kick of her shoes and feel the carpet with her toes. In fact, while she thought about that, it seemed to her that the big bed would also make for an excellent trampoline. But that would be ridiculous of course, although she could not stop the mental picture of Georg jumping up and down on the bed. The thought made her let out a small giggle.

Georg looked at her rather strangely. ''Uhm, i was just...'' stuttered Maria, ''...uh, the room looks wonderful Georg! I don't deserve all this! Look at these fine thick curtains!''

Georg, apparently deciding to let her giggle slip, quipped: ''Now Maria, you won't be making any clothes out of them will you? It would probably give the staff a fright,'' he said as he started chuckling.

Maria smiled half-abashed. ''I'm sure there's no need for that, since you've already given me so much Georg.''

Georg looked at her little suitcase critically. ''Well Maria, I hear they have some of the finest clothing stores in Florence. Maybe we could pick up a few things for you there.''

Maria smiled at him, her face suddenly sunshine. ''I've already got more than I ever thought I'd have. Things in the abbey were so much simpler, I never had to think about what I had to put on.''

Georg walked up to her and put his hands on her waist. His close presence gave her goosebumps on her neck as his fragrance, fresh from bathing and shaving this morning, filled her senses. She hadn't realized until now how much she yearned to be near to him, how some strange need was fulfilled when he was this close to her. With a gentle look in his eye he said, ''You have brought so much joy in my life Maria, you must allow me to give you a little something every now and then.''

Maria shook her head as she said, ''Georg, you could never give me anything greater than yourself or the children.''

''Are you sure you want to count me as part of your blessings? You know how much I like to tease you,'' he said as he smilingly kissed her forehead.

To feel his lips on her forehead again, just like that evening in the gazebo, made Maria's heart beat fast. But still, it wasn't enough. She knew exactly where she wanted those lips to be instead. Maria gently tugged on his chin, guiding his head down.

''I wouldn't have it any other way,'' she said, and standing on her toes, she brought her lips up to his. Surprised at first, Georg quickly caught on as his warm lips started moving softly against her own. His hands slid from her waist to her back, clinging her closer to him. She could sense the heat radiating from his chest as it pressed against her own. Kissing like this with the man she loved made Maria's head swirl. She had always admired his tall strong physique, his dark hair with the strikingly blue eyes. Out of caution, she had never allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to be near him, to kiss him. Now they were married, she could kiss him whenever she wanted. She slid her arms around his waist, clinging him even closer to her. Then Georg took her by surprise as he opened his mouth against her own and stroked his tongue very tentatively against her bottom lip. It was too much for Maria and she took a step backwards, panting for air.

Across from her, Georg was catching his breath as well, as he ran his fingers through his hair. Maria struggled to gather her thoughts. She didn't know kissing could involve something other than lips. It stunned her and yet... She wished she hadn't ended the kiss. She wanted to know what Georg would've done with his tongue.

Georg, coming back to his senses, started saying, ''Maria, I'm sor...'', but he was roughly interrupted by Maria as she walked up to him, her face determined, grasped the thick dark hair at the back of his head and pushed his lips back to hers. Again, Georg was taken by surprise but then he kissed her back, more fiercely than ever. But he wouldn't use his tongue again. Maria wondered... what if she tasted his lips with her tongue? The thought ignited a fire deep in her belly. A voice in the back of her head said it would be improper but her want for Georg was more pressing in this moment. Tentatively, she opened her mouth against his and tasted his lip with her tongue. It was exquisite. This time however, it was Georg who took a step back.

Seeking balance with one hand on one of the bedposts, he stuttered, ''Maria, I...'', looking flushed.

Maria put her hands on her blushing cheeks, with a look of shame on her face. ''Oh, I'm sorry Georg, I, I didn't mean to...''

Georg looked at her. His eyes were feverish and she forgot her shame as the air between them seemed somehow to become electrical. She felt her knees growing weaker and hoped they wouldn't give in on her. Suddenly he looked away. ''You know Maria, it's getting late, we probably should get to bed.''

Something about him mentioning the bed made Maria jump a little. Oh dear, she'd forgotten about the bed.

''Oh, yes, yes,'' said Maria, ''I'll go find my bedclothes''. Still dazzled from the rush of the kiss, she walked to her suitcase and started ruffling through her things. She wasn't really paying that much attention to the clothes in her suitcase, distracted by the prospect of going to bed with Georg. She felt a pang of excitement mixed with anxiousness as she thought about what was supposed to happen tonight.

Suddenly she felt a hand on top of her hand. She looked up. Georg was crouching beside her, looking a bit worried. Apparently she had been rummaging nervously through her things for some time now.

''There, isn't this it Maria?'' he asked as he gave her her white nightgown.

''Yes, thank you Georg,'' she said as she took the garment from him. She felt rather uncomfortable at the idea of undressing herself here, in plain view, in front of Georg. Standing up, she clung the garment to her chest, looking about the room indecisively

Georg seemed to be picking up on her discomfort. ''Maria, why don't you go into the bathroom to change?''

Maria looked about her. A bathroom? She hadn't noticed there were more rooms in their suite. But sure enough, besides the arm-chair was a slim door. Feeling relieved, she walked towards it, maybe a bit quicker then necessary. In her haste she didn't notice the little threshold, and she tripped on it. As an involuntary yelp escaped her throat, she fell face down into the bathroom on the hard tiled floor. Her shoulder took the brunt of the fall, and she could feel a white-hot pain coursing through it.

''Maria! Maria are you okay?'' she heard Georg call as he hastened to the bathroom. He crouched beside her and she took his hand as he helped her up. ''Are you hurt somewhere?'' Georg asked worriedly.

''No not really,'' said Maria. ''My shoulder hurts a bit, but I'm sure it'll be just fine.''

''Your shoulder? Here let me take a look at it.'' said Georg.

''Oh, no Georg, it's probably just a little bump.'' said Maria

''Maria, I used to be a sea-captain. I would never let my crew walk around with injuries, let alone my wife.'' he said with a stern voice. Maria thought he was grossly over exaggerating the situation and wouldn't budge, crossing her arms. Georg, apparently deciding it was time for action instead of words, grew impatient and closed his fingers around the first button of her jacket, trying to open it.

Maria sighed as she reluctantly gave into him. ''Okay, fine, I can do it myself Georg,'' she said, her voice irritated, as she slapped his hands away. She saw a little smirk on Georg's face, which only annoyed her more. There was nothing humorous about this situation.

She opened the other buttons of her jacket and removed it altogether, laying it on the side of the bathtub. Under her jacket, she was wearing a cream-colored blouse tucked into a brown skirt. When she reached for the buttons of her blouse, still irritated, it suddenly dawned on her that she was undressing herself in the little bathroom and her husband was standing right there. She hesitated.

This time Georg got irritated. ''Maria, do you still want to stand here tomorrow?'' he asked, again in that stern voice.

Blushing slightly, Maria continued opening her blouse. When she finished opening the last button, she slid the fabric of the blouse down over her shoulder. Under her blouse she was wearing a tight silk under-dress. In order to get a better view, Georg slid the strap from the dress down as well. Maria shivered, partly because the area was still tender, partly because his fingers were touching her naked shoulder.

Georg interpreted it as pain. ''Sorry Maria''. He continued examining her shoulder closely. It was red. ''Its bruised quite badly but I don't think anything's broken. Can you move your arm upwards?'' he asked.

Maria obliged. It hurt, but not very badly. Georg said, ''Yes I think it's just badly bruised. I will keep an eye on it, but it appears to me that it will heal in time.'' Then he suddenly had a mischievous look in his eye. ''Maybe this will speed up the healing process,'' he said as he leaned down and very softly kissed her shoulder.

Maria's heart stopped as her mouth fell open. ''I will give you some privacy Maria,'' Georg said as he walked back into the bedroom. Whereas Maria had longed for some privacy earlier, now she suddenly felt bereft as the small bathroom no longer held Georg's presence. She shook her head. Right, yes, she was supposed to change into her bed garments. She slid out of her skirt, removed her under-dress and was left standing in her bra and panties. She put on her nightgown and looked at the door. Right. She was ready for this. Right? A sting of anxiety hit her and she put her arms around herself. Okay Maria, she thought, as she let out the breath she had been holding in. Okay. You can do this. You have to. You're married now. This is what married people do. You're not a nun anymore. You made this choice. Okay. She was feeling in dire need of a little confidence. How did that song go again? Right! 'I have confidence in sunshine, I have confidence in rain. I have confidence that spring will come again! Besides what you see I have confidence in me!' And, strengthened by the song that had given her confidence before, her fingers still shaky, she opened the door to the bedroom where her husband was waiting to join her in bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Georg was sitting in the armchair besides their bed, watching Maria fiddle about from one place to the other, putting their things away. He held down a chuckle that was threatening to erupt as he saw her drop another piece of clothing on the floor; the third time this evening, fourth if you counted dropping herself on the bathroom-floor. His heart constricted when he remembered how she had lowered her dress to reveal her soft, cream-colored shoulder. He shouldn't have kissed her there but he hadn't been able to stop himself. Afterwards she had turned into this flitting fairy, nervously keeping herself busy. She had been unconsciously humming a song he recognized as 'favorite things', which he knew she sang with the children when they were frightened. Was she frightened? Am I frightening?, he thought, as a dread settled on his heart.

The situation suddenly seemed less amusing. He didn't want her to be frightened, he wanted her to be comfortable around him. He hated this. A sigh escaped his lips. He'd better get this conversation over with. He had been postponing it, much like Maria seemed to be postponing going to bed. He really didn't know how to talk about sex with his virgin bride who was supposed to have become a nun. In Vienna's social circle, which he had become familiar with because of the Baroness , the notion of sex hadn't been as much of a taboo. People were a little more open-minded and free of spirit there. But with Maria he had only talked about topics such as the children, politics and more recently, their feelings. This conversation fell far out of that realm of subject matters.

He sighed again as he awkwardly shifted his weight on the chair. ''Maria?'' he called out to her. ''Won't you come sit here for a minute?'' he said as he patted on the bed beside him.

Maria looked up from the skirt she'd just put away in a closet, slightly confused as she was snapped out of her frenzy. She had a lovely flush on her face from flitting about the room.

''Huh?'' she said disoriented. ''Oh, I was just putting away these last items'', she declared as she closed a closet that was now stuffed with their clothes.

''There's no need for that Maria, we'll be packing them up soon again anyway.''

''Oh''. Confused, she stood with her arms akimbo, shifting her eyes nervously through the room. Apparently she couldn't find another excuse to stay busy so, reluctantly, she made her way to the side of the bed, sat down and folded her hands in her lap.

Georg stood up and started pacing up and down in front of her, rubbing his hands together anxiously as he walked. How did he initiate this conversation? Maybe it was best to just take the bull by its horns. As he stopped his pacing and fixated his gaze on her he stated,

''Maria, tonight is our wedding night...'' his heart skipped a beat. ''Do you know what happens between a married couple when they go to bed?''

He held his breath as he watched her. Looking down upon her hands, her cheeks flushed, she slowly nodded her head yes.

Ah thank God, thought Georg as he exhaled. At least he didn't have to explain that part.

''Maria, the thing is, uhm...'' Why had he waited so long to have this conversation? ''I don't think we're ready for that step just yet.'' He stopped his pacing, waiting for her reaction.

For the first time since she sat down, Maria looked at him confusedly. ''What do you mean Georg?'' she asked, a frown on her brow.

''Well, uhm, I don't see why we should rush into things in the first night of our honeymoon when we have a month to...'' he let out a cough, ''to get to know each other better.''

Maria was silent for what felt like an eternity. For some reason, Georg could hear his own heartbeat drumming in his ears. Finally she said,

''I don't understand Georg. Aren't we supposed to go to bed together during the wedding night? Isn't that how God intended it to be?'' she asked, her eyes round and innocent, like a doe.

This was what he had been afraid of, that she saw it as her duty before God to be the dutiful wife and submit to him in bed, which was the last thing he wanted. How could he make her see that when it came to their marriage, it was only about him and her, and not about external expectations? Georg went to sit beside her on the bed, enfolding her hands in his own.

''Can't we decide for ourselves what our marriage is supposed to be? I mean, we're not exactly the standard couple, are we? A former sea captain marrying a postulant meant for the convent?'' He paused as he considered his next words. ''We decided that we wanted to be together, in spite of what was expected of us. And Maria, I love you too much to go to bed together before you're ready. I don't want you to be scared.''

In a flash, Maria took her hands back and stood up. With her back to him she said in a defiant tone, ''_Scared_? I'm not scared Georg.'' But he could hear a tremor in her voice. She didn't want him to know how hard this must be for her, but he could see right through it.

''Then why were you humming favorite things Maria? I know it's a song that you and the children sing when you're afraid of something.''

She turned sideways, her head down in defeat. ''I, I was?'' she stuttered. ''I can't remember... I...'' she fell silent.

She appeared so small, so distressed. He couldn't stand it, so he stood up, walked to her and took her hands in his again. ''Dearest Maria, it's alright if you're scared. To be frank with you, I'm scared too.'' He hadn't realized as much but when he uttered the words he felt them to be true.

She lifted her eyes up to him. ''You're scared too?'' she asked, her voice full of disbelief.

''Yes Maria. I don't want to hurt the woman I love the most in this world.''

She stroked his arms with her hands. ''Oh Georg...'', her voice empathetic, ''you could never hurt me.'' Gazing into her eyes, he could see that she truly believed that. He felt an even bigger pressure to be the man she deserved.

Touching her forehead with his own he insisted, ''Then let us take our time Maria. And when we're ready we will be together as husband and wife.''

Maria let her gaze go downward again. How he wanted to lift up that chin and look her in the eye and make everything okay somehow. But he knew this was hard for her and she needed time to adjust to everything he was suggesting. Again, she turned her back to him, and, her voice small, said,

''But... what if I'm never ready Georg? I know what happens in the marital bed is how God intended it to be but...''

''But you don't know if you''ll ever want me like that?'' he asked in a gentle voice.

His words shocked her and she swiftly turned around, her tone defiant again, ''I never said that Georg, of course I want you.'' But she said it just a little too quickly. ''It's just that... I, I...'' and suddenly she appeared very distressed and out of her spilled a rush of words he could hardly decipher, ''I don't know what to do, I don't know how to be, I wish I... I wish I could... I know I love you but I...''

Walking up to her, he stroked his hands up and down her arms and reassured her, ''That's just it Maria, you don't have to be anything other than what you are. To me you are perfect. Trust me. We won't do anything you're not ready for.'' After a moment he added, ''And if you're never ready, well... I already have _seven _children...''

Maria let out a shaky laugh and he could hear the relief in her voice.

''Come on dearest,'' he said. ''It's been a long day. We should really get some sleep.'' And after stroking Maria one more time on her arms, he gathered his pajamas and disappeared into the little bathroom. As he was changing, a sense of peace came over him. Nervous as he'd been about this conversation, he knew now he had done the right thing. He would make love to Maria when they were both ready.

Walking back into the bedroom, he could not repress the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, when he saw his bride laying there, on one side of their king-sized bed, waiting for him to join her. He felt joyous at the thought that from now on, she would always sleep next to him. He'd never have to sleep alone again. And for now, it was enough.

He dimmed the lights and stepped into bed beside Maria. He softly called out to her. ''Goodnight Maria.''

''Goodnight Georg.''

The bed was soft, comfortable. The head-pillow was a bit too fluffy for his taste. He was used to the hard beds he'd had to endure during his time in the navy, often sleeping without a pillow. Since then, he found most head-pillows to be rather uncomfortable.

He could hear Maria's peaceful breathing. It was weird, having her in the same bed as him but not being able to touch her, to see her. Irrationally in that moment in the darkness, he missed her, even though she lay right there beside him. Tentatively, he reached out his hand. He found hers under the covers, closer than he expected. Gently, he took her small hand and enveloped it in his own.

It took a moment but then Maria reacted, threading her fingers through his own. He gave her a little squeeze. There they lay, almost like two children, holding hands in secrecy. Georg could feel the curtain of sleep quickly sliding over him. The last image he saw before he fell asleep, clear as day, was one of Maria's face, framed in beautiful golden hair locks that were reflecting the sunlight. As his heart constricted in awe he wondered, how did he get this angel to marry him?

* * *

**A/N: Georg being #husbandgoals XD. Let me know what you think, if you have any writer's tips or constructive criticism, it's much appreciated. If you're enjoying the story, thank you so much :) :) **


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